By Michael Buzzelli
“All the human race has something between their legs that can be taken”
– Gene in “David Mamet’s “Henry Johnson
Henry (John Steffenauer) careens from one disastrous event after another, unaware that he’s the world’s biggest patsy in David Mamet’s “Henry Johnson.”
The play is structured like four interlocking one-act plays, each with a shocking resolution. The four scenes, like violent pieces of a evil jigsaw puzzle, come together with a dramatic and malignant end.
Henry argues with his boss, Mr. Barnes (Cotter Smith) about hiring an ex-con, who is a college acquaintance of Johnson’s. The discussion mines deep, darker desires and, by the end of the first scene, Johnson is hit with a shocking revelation.
In the next scene, Henry meets Gene (a frightening David Whalen), a prisoner with radical ideas and opinions. He delivers a monologue about Snow White where he recants a weird version of the Snow White story that teaches a prescient lesson about power and surrender.
In the final scene, Henry and Jerry (returning Pittsburgher David Butler), a prison guard, play a deadly cat-and-mouse game, which one is the cat and which one is the mouse is debatable until the final moments of the play.
It’s hard to tell if Henry plagued by dark twists of fates, or is he a gullible dupe who believes in the charismatic, but insidious, men in his life, each of whom furthers their own sinister goals with Henry as the hapless pawn to their White King Energy.
Steffenauer does a great job, believing his deceivers without looking like a gullible, toadyish, or spineless cartoon of a human being (RIP Lindsey Graham).
Smith plays Barnes as a cold, calculating company leader without a shred of compassion, though, with hidden reasons that justify his behavior. Barnes is more of an Vulcan (Star Trek reference) psychologist than corporate boss, who digs at the protagonist with a sharpened scalpel.
Whalen is chewing the scenery as Gene, who seems more like a malevolent tent revival preacher than prisoner. He spits and spews his dark theories, manipulating Henry with every twisted sentence.
Butler’s Jerry seems like an affable prison guard, who only wants to clock out and go home, but there are is much more seething under the surface.
Side note: Butler stepped in to replace the late Matt DeCaro, who passed away in the middle of a production of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. DeCaro was the impetus for the production, and the performance of the show are dedicated to his memory. That said, on opening night, Butler had to hold onto his script during the final (dialogue heavy) scene.
Kimberly Brown’s costumes add a level of realism to the show. She’s outfitted Whalen with a set of temporary tattoos and specialty designed sleeves that mimic two arms-length of ink.
The set, however, is surreal, a square stage reminiscent of a boxing ring, with simple props garnered from Rachel Ferrari Engel, beautifully lit by Andrew Ostrowski.
Additional side note: It’s a Mamet play. It’s all about cis-gender straight (presumably) males, some the characters carry deep-seated resentment for women. In this play, two women are mentioned, a victim of a heinous crime, and a jail-appointed psychologist, who may or may not be another manipulator in Johnson’s life.
Director Andrew Paul manages to get striking performances from his four actors, everyone is on their “A” Game.
The play is hard and cold. A miasma of negative thoughts and emotions, excellently performed, but the brutal truths are hard to stomach as each reveal brings Henry Johnson (the character not the play) toward his inevitable conclusion.
“Henry Johnson” is a particular world view, one where every action has drastic consequences. It’s darker than “Dateline,” the news program about in-depth, true crime murderers and their victims. Don’t expect to come out of the theater whistling a happy tune. If you want to see a masterclass on acting on a Pittsburgh stage, “Henry Johnson” should be right up your darkened alley.
P.S. The final moments of the play are gasp-inducing.
-MB
“Henry Johnson” runs from July 9 to July 26 at the Carnegie Stage, 25 W. Main Street in Carnegie, PA 15106. For tickets or additional information, click here.
